Stranded
by Let.Go.and.Jump.In
Summary: Their flight home from Rio was supposed to be anything but eventful. When two young adolescents find themselves together, alone, in the most unlikely of circumstances, they must learn to depend on one another to survive. A story of growth, teenage-hood, adventure, and love. AH. B&E.
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome to my new story. I've been in the process of writing it for a long time, and was inspired to write it after watching the old Blue Lagoon (1980 film). I wondered what would be different if instead the story revolved around the development of a young Bella and Edward. Of course there will be a LOT of character development, emotional turmoil, angst, and themes of love & innocence, and trauma. Hope you enjoy. AH; Please R&R._

Chapter 1: Terminal

It was packed. Waves of travelers were pushing and pawing forward with their bags, suitcases, purses, or children in tow squealing for a sticky cinnamon bun or pulling on their mother's hand for a candy bar at the local Rio Newsstand. An inconsolable baby was crying two rows over. The air was a stifling haze of orange and yellow; who knew the airport air conditioning system would blow out only 24 hours before the hottest day of the year in Rio de Janeiro?

Bella held onto her own mother's hand as she sat glued to the plastic chair. Her bottom was starting to sweat against the seat, but she dare not move. Her wide eyes watched the crowds, her other hand closed around her mother's first edition of _Wuthering Heights_; an old family heirloom. It had been hours. Eight to be exact.

"We apologize for the delay, but the connecting flight has finally landed. We will begin the boarding process in less than half an hour."

"Finally!" the woman exclaimed behind Bella and her mother. Renee turned around, eyeing the rushing crew beyond the jubilant cheers from the stranded passengers. Bella knew that look.

"Honey, I'm going to check on the status of the plane, okay? You stay put." Renee left her 12 year-old daughter behind to look for the plane's personnel.

Bella watched her mother approach the native flight attendants and attempt to communicate with her hands.

"I hope it's ready for take-off, it just landed."

The ethereal voice drew her attention away. It belonged to a statuesque woman in the row of seats across, clad in flowing white pants and a tan tank top to match her large floppy straw hat. Her hair was a copper color, cascading in thick, shiny curls down her shoulders and framing her high cheek bones and thin face. Her brilliant green eyes kept peering around the terminal, her hand clasped around a gentleman who looked the same age with a dark brown mustache and tan suit. If Bella hadn't known better, the couple's conservative nature acted a lot like the characters in her book – as if from another time.

"Oh, there you are!" the woman pointed in the distance and made a gesture. Bella followed her gaze.

A young boy not much older than her ran towards them. Copper wavy hair flitted across her vision; her senses hazed by the smell of earth and fresh rain.

Her thoughts returned to a scene of Heathcliff traversing the wild English moors to reach Catherine.

"Boarding will begin in a few minutes"

The loudspeaker drew her out of her reverie.

Blinking several times, she noticed the boy starring at her. Startled, she flattened herself back in her seat, lips sealed tight, eyes wide. His chest was still heaving, hands at his sides, head tilted as he evaluated her cautiously. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Edward! There you are," the woman reached out and brushed the sides of his arms, drawing his attention away. "Please don't go off again, they've decided to board the plane."

"Son, would you help me with these?" the gentleman Bella supposed was his father, gingerly lifted the luggage and gave the smallest pieces to his son. The boy named Edward took them immediately, hauling them close to his chest to prove his strength.

The mother followed the father and son to the boarding line.

"Bella" Her mother's hand on her shoulder made her jump. "You alright honey? Ready to go?"

The tiny brunette nodded, and made move to get up, tripping on her polyester backpack. Her father had given it to her as a present; a waterproof backpack for when they went fishing and camping.

"Woah there, clumsy!" her mother's hands pulled her up, but the sudden clamor of the fall had caught the attention of the surrounding passengers, including (to her mortification) the copper haired boy who stood in line with his parents.

Heat rose in her face. She clung to her book as she walked alongside her mother to the 3rd line; coach passengers. She peeked through the lines when the telecom announced the boarding process had started.

"_First class passengers, please_" a thick accent announced overhead. The boy and his parents started moving up the first line.

The large windows that framed the west side of the airport were fogged from the humidity. Everything beyond the airport was a shade of brown or orange. Bella could barely make out the shape of the large white 747, with its' spinning black pinwheels and tiny windows.

"This is exciting" her mother smiled half-heartedly. Bella could tell something was bothering Renee, but what? She reciprocated with a full set of teeth, and gave her mother a consoling arm rub.

"Phil will be waiting for you" her tiny voice barely made it to her mother's ears through the congested sound of the terminal.

"Aw, honey" Renee gave her a side hug "he'll be waiting for _us_. You're right, I should be excited. I'm _more_ excited you won't have school for another two months! We're going to have so much fun, just you, me, and Phil."

"_Second class passengers please_"

Bella squeezed her hand. "Thanks mom, for this trip. I really liked having just you and me time. Rio is beautiful, I don't want to leave." She scanned the terminal; ironic, this was hardly the place she'd like to _stay_. But she understood her mother's incentive to take this trip; even if her mother thought she was blind to the nights Phil stayed over, or the diamond ring in her underwear drawer, the evenings Bella would be up reading till 2 am waiting for her mother to come home. She knew, even if her mother thought she didn't. They were engaged. And Renee didn't want to break the news to her yet. Instead, she took her on this trip, just the two of them, so she could spend more time before springing it on her.

_"Third class passengers please, come forward."_

Bella wanted her mother to be happy, and she was happy around Phil. She didn't mind him, really. He brought home pizza on Friday's (which she was incredibly thankful for to replace her mother's weekly grilled tofu). He didn't smell bad, he smiled a lot, was obsessed with the ESPN channel and his job in baseball; generally, Phil seemed like a good guy and they both got along well. Bella knew when to exit the room, even at 12 years old. But in the back of her mind, she kept wondering about her own Dad. Why didn't it work out with her mother? The last time she visited him was…was it 1 year ago? Last summer? She missed him. He was quiet, and she liked quiet. But he knew the things she liked; sleeping in on Saturdays, the diner was fun to go to, biking around Forks area. She didn't even mind going fishing on Sundays with Harry and Billy sometimes. Maybe she should spend more time with her Dad while Phil and her Mom were on the honeymoon?

"Tickets please"

Bella handed over the long white piece of paper. He tore off one end and handed her the short slip_. Rio de Janero, Brazil to Jacksonville, Florida_. Then it was a connecting flight from Jacksonville to Phoenix, AZ. And if she were going to her Dad's, (she had a sudden panging to see her father), she'd take the connecting flight from Phoenix to the small Port Angeles Airport. It was over an hour drive to Forks from there, but it was better than going straight to the precarious Forks Airport or Quillayute Airport 10 miles away.

"Bella!"

Her mother was already far down the terminal, waving her on. "You're a real space cadet today! C'mon, let's go find a seat!"

"Sorry" she muttered, sprinting down the carpeted pathway to the plane.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note: _Please review :)_

* * *

Chapter 2: A Little Turbulence

After some extensive bargaining and pleading with the gentleman in the middle seat of a three row- side seating area, mother and daughter were allowed to sit together. However, the gentleman would not relinquish the window seat. Bella sat on the aisle, and Renee in the middle next to Mr. Stubborn.

"Are you sure you want to read that over again Bella? I can ask the stewardess for a magazine or another book? It's a 9 hour flight honey."

Bella smiled over the book. "It's special to me. I really don't mind reading it again."

Renee tilted her forehead to hers. "It means a lot that you think this book is special too. I used to read it over and over again when I was, well, I guess I was a little older than you. That and Jane Austen. In fact," she dug through her colorful new burlap carry-on. "I have _Pride & Prejudice_ right here! Don't leave home without it."

Bella regarded the book in her hands; its spine was dark green, with faded gold lettering _Pride & Prejudice_ _by Jane Austen._

"Actually, like the Bronte sisters, Austen didn't print under her name. She printed anonymously."

"Why would she do that?" Bella opened the novel, and ran her hand down the worn cover page, printed in a flourished script.

"Well, it was a different time. Women were treated differently, and as a female you just didn't publish work back then" Renee shrugged. She pulled out a Cosmopolitan magazine. Bella almost didn't recognize the celebrity on the cover, scantily clad in a fishnet top and black skirt. She was posed so awkwardly on the cover, surely she wasn't comfortable in those clothes, Bella thought.

"_It is now safe to take off your seatbelts. We are an hour into our journey, and the refreshments cart will be making its rounds. Please have cash or credit ready if you wish to purchase refreshments."_

Bella had just finished the acquaintances of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley at the dance hall, to the Bennett sisters. What made this old-world courting so attractive to her? She admired the way the gentlemen asked the women to dance, and led them to events, and opened carriage doors. Is that what her mother referred to as chivalry?

"Honey, did you want anything? The cart's coming around."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"You sure?" she was digging through her sack again. Bella made a mental note to buy an attachment for her mother's change purse. "I'm going to get…uh, something." She cleared her throat as the woman came by.

"What would you like?"

"Do you have any, _chardonnay_ perhaps?" Renee whispered her request. Bella rolled her eyes – she wasn't deaf.

"Actually we do!"

"One glass please."

"Mom, you don't have to feel guilty for having wine." She watched her mom sheepishly sip her beverage. "Especially when you don't like flying."

"Oh, it's not that. I just want to get a few hours of sleep in before we land. You should do the same! That book isn't going anywhere, unless it somehow sprouts legs."

Bella clutched the binding teasingly. "I'll make sure it doesn't go anywhere"

* * *

The cabins were dark, save for three or four sparse lights above passengers reading or working on their computers. Renee's sleeping head had fallen onto Bella's shoulder. Bella held a flashlight to Austen's masterpiece, savoring every word she couldn't comprehend or pronounce, every innuendo she didn't understand yet, and filing it away into her memory to ask her mother later. Whoever this mysterious Mr. Darcy was, something told her there was more than met the eye.

"Hey"

Bella's eyes flickered above her book, her breath catching in her throat. The boy named Edward was standing in the aisle, regarding her with a soft smile and inquisitive green eyes.

"What are you reading?"

Why was her chest speeding up, like in the lobby? No boys ever talked to her, never. _Ever_. Should she be mean, like Elizabeth to Mr. Darcy? Or not answer?

"It's…Pride and Prejudice."

He nodded, glancing at the book. "My mom has read that. Is it any good?"

She swallowed hard. "So far."

"Sorry, my name is Edward. Edward Mason."

"Bella. Bella Swan." She barely touched his offered hand, before retreating back into herself.

"I always wondered if girls' books were good; full of action, I mean."

"It's not an action novel. It's romance. Although, I haven't gotten to the romance part yet."

Bella watched him shift his position in the aisle, holding onto the headrest in front of her. Her eyebrows narrowed together. "Why are you up? Everyone is asleep."

"Can't sleep. Not on planes at least." He scratched the back of his neck, glancing away to the other side of the plane. Bella took the moment to glance at her still-sleeping mother on her shoulder.

"I'm headed to the restroom, but, want to hang out with me when I get back? See if there's any extra snacks in those metal drawers?" he smirked.

"I thought first class passengers weren't supposed to come back here."

He pondered over her comment for a few seconds before shrugging. "I don't have anyone to talk to. I don't mind hanging back here, only if you don't mind me?"

Bella couldn't believe how well-spoken, or how well-mannered he was. The only manners her mother taught her were at the dinner table. Everything else had come from books.

She nodded silently. He walked off, glancing over his shoulder at her once, before disappearing into the bathroom cabin.

Bella lay back in her seat. Was that really the first time a boy acknowledged her existence? Did she sound stupid? Did she say everything right?

The plane began to rumble. Her mother's second half-full glass of wine shook and splattered onto the table.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, we are five hours into our journey at 30,000 feet. We seem to be hitting a little turbulence, so please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt."_

_Edward_. Bella turned her head, and noticed to her relief that the boy had vacated the bathroom and was heading her way. He offered a weak smile and shrugged his shoulders. "Guess our adventure will have to wait. See you in a few."

Bella weakly waved as he walked by.

"Mhm?" Renee leaned up and squinted her eyes. "Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to sleep on you." She sat up straight and stretched her arms.

"That's okay" Bella replied hazily, shoving her books and flashlight away into her knapsack.

The vibrations rattled the chairs.

"Feels like a massage, doesn't it" Renee commented. Bella heard the nerves in her tone.

"It'll go away" she muttered under her breath.

"_Please fasten all seatbelts, Ladies and Gentlemen, and keep all belongings under your seat and all trays in their upright-"_

The lights blew out to blackness. A woman nearby screamed.

"Bella" Renee grasped her daughter's hand.

They could feel the plane struggling to level out. Bella could see flashes of white light flickering in the darkness outside.

"Bella it's going to be okay" Renee shouted over the voices – fighting to stay calm for her daughter in the midst of chaos.

Bella squeezed her mother's hand, the other clutching to the armrest. Her chest heaved as the adrenaline battle began, and the little warriors coursed through her veins.

A high pitched siren wailed, but it wasn't from the intercom. The sound was coming from outside her window.

Bella peered through the blackness outside her window; her mother was flush against the seat, holding her breath and squeezing her hand. The engine flaring angrily with red, orange, yellow, and sparks of brilliant green that reminded her of something.

Suddenly a tangled mess of plastic fell atop of her.

"Mom-"

"Sweetie, hold on" Renee grappled with the plastic till she got the rubber band secure over Bella's head, then hers. People were clambering over and through seats as if a stampede were chasing them from all angles. Few stayed put and had the composure to arrange the oxygen masks. Bella held her mother's frightened stare.

"It's going to be okay honey, I love you."

"I love you mom" but Bella's voice was drowned over the high pitched whistle – the cries – the nose-dive the plane suddenly took.

She held onto her mother in a joined embrace. Her mother held her hands over her daughter's head as the plane jerked forward once more.


	3. Chapter 3

_Authors note: sorry for the delay in posting. Thank you for the reviews! :)_

What the Water Gave Me

It rushed in. From every window, from every angle. It swept the people up from their seats, unconscious, alive, dead, she didn't know. It was coming forward, towards her and her mother. _Her mother_.

Bella could see her mother's form, with head rested on the headrest in front of her. Blood was dripping from her scalp down her hair and at the corner of her mouth.

"Mom!"

People around her were groaning, a few voices were crying out for help. The couple across the aisle from her were slumped in their seats. Metal debris continued to fall into the cabin. It was pitch black except for the few illuminated signs and flashing sparks.

Bella's head was swimming. "Mom! MOM!" she shook her, but she wouldn't wake.

Her swift hands unbuckled her belt, then her mother's. Renee began to fall forward into the water that started swirling past her calves. Bella looked up-

The first class cabin was already underwater.

_Edward_.

_You can't think about it now. Get mom out_.

Tears poured from her eyes as she hauled her mother onto herself, but the weight was too much and she fell into the aisle- into the water.

_They're all dead. We're going to die. We're in the middle of water, the ocean, where's land? Why won't mom wake up? Where's the exit?_

She surfaced in time to grab hold of her mother's hand, and haul her to the surface. A woman was floating by her, unconscious. Or dead. The fear grabbed hold of her lungs; suddenly she couldn't breathe.

_Where's the way out - How do I get out!_

The windows were too small, and she didn't know how to open the door.

A red ceiling light was dimmed beneath the water ahead of her.

_The emergency exit sign_

"Mom, Mom wake up!" she kept shaking her and squeezing her arms despite the rising water and cries for help.

A weight was on her chest. The air was getting tight and thick, like breathing in syrup.

"Mom, Mom please!" she could touch the top of the cabin now. It was filling rapidly with a few feet left.

"Mom we have to go! Please, Mom wake up!"

Her head was bursting.

_I can't leave without her._

Resolved, and incredibly calm for a 12 year-old in her situation, Bella hauled her mother over her shoulder by gripping onto one wrist, and took her last breath before the water swallowed the cabin.

It was pitch black except for the Exit sign one entire row ahead.

Bella fought past the floating masses that continued to bump into her. She refused to acknowledge them, or the reality that she was swimming amongst dead people – _bodies_ – a graveyard she was about to become a part of.

The thought numbed her to the core.

She could see the sign – see the door – reach the handle. It was too tightly secured. _No, open!_ Her lungs were ready to burst.

Sharp pain radiated from her head down her neck; stars appeared like fireworks in her vision. The only sound was the overflow of liquid into her lungs. The heaviness in her chest felt like lead. She opened her eyes to the door, and took every effort to turn her head to see her mother. Her form beside her was falling away; she was floating into the cabin, into the darkness.

She had let go, she had failed. She had to catch her, just reach out and touch her – but she couldn't move her arms…

There was movement in her peripheral vision. A loud squeaking noise, followed by a tugging on her arm. She watched the outline of her mother in the darkness falling away to join the other masses…then all was black.


	4. Chapter 4

"_Please wake up, wake up"_

She could feel the pressure building in her chest as air forced its way in.

She felt like vomiting her insides out. Water came out from all orifices, and she heaved her body against the grip around her waist that held her fast against his person. Gulps came in gasps for air. Her eyes opened into the frightening darkness; lit by flashes of lightening, and emergency lights from the submerging craft 30 feet from her. A loud siren wailed.

The feeling returned to her skin. Her legs were floating, and her face was being pelted by water.

She coughed and heaved again.

"Keep coughing" a strained voice sounded beside her. It sounded familiar.

The impact. The blood. The bodies. Her mom.

"You're shaking" the voice interrupted her daze "can you hold onto this?"

The supportive arm around her waist disappeared, and placed her hands onto the white rope lining the orange craft. She was forced to turn and confront whoever saved her.

His hair looked black in the dark, plastered to his head as he clutched the edge of the raft.

Her fear subsided when she saw those familiar eyes, now red-rimmed. His face pale.

"We can't do anything." He seemed to be speaking more to himself than her. "The plane will sink us down too if we don't get away soon. I'll help you up first."

Bella swallowed hard and pushed herself onto the raft. Edward's hand supported her legs into the blow-up raft. She held out her hand, and with one last look over his shoulder, he climbed in beside her. A chill swept through them both as the wind picked up against the rain.

"Is anybody out there!" Edward called out. "Hello!"

Bella watched the tail of the plane begin to submerge. The ocean would have it now. Claim whatever that plane held, even if it was held so dear to her.

Her hands balled into fists, clutching the edge of the huge orange safety raft as she stared after the huge coffin-carrier.

_Mom_.

"Mom" she sobbed to herself. The wind wiped her hair into her face, chilling her soaked body.

Edward turned her way. His eyes were filled with tears. He watched her stare after the sinking plane as it slowly descended into the sea.

His mother and his father – _gone_. In a split second, everything had changed – the two he loved the most, were dead, gone, forever. But he knew they were gone, he _saw_ that they were gone the moment after impact. He remembered the brave words of his father echoing from his past when he trained him, took him on trips, taught him survival techniques. His father was always strong and savvy in these situations. Edward straightened himself up and looked out into the ocean. The tears came relentlessly, but he refused to give into his grief- he had to be strong. He had to get them to a safe place, that is, if they were anywhere near land.

"Is anybody out there?" Edward called out into the darkness, voice cracking under the strain. The only light the flashing red and green strobes from the plane's cabin, now being submerged under the water.

"Are there any survivors! Can you hear me!"

Edward's voice was lost against the pelting rain and the violent sparking of the planes engine as the lone unsubmerged wing caught fire. The girl beside him broke into a sob as they watched the rest of the aircraft fall into the ocean. Bella settled to the bottom of the raft and curled into herself.

It felt like hours before he glanced back at the shivering girl. Maybe it wouldn't be cowardly if he decided to lie down for a moment? Just to keep her company.

He choked back the sob threatening to escape, and laid across from her. He draped one arm over her shivering form before succumbing to exhaustion.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Harsh sunlight assaulted her eyes. Bella clutched her head above her right temple, feeling the burn sear beneath the skin into bone.

"You're bleeding, don't move."

She stopped her movements on command, allowing herself to relax at the sound of Edward's voice. He seemed to know what he was doing. After all, he pulled her from the plane.

The memory of her mom's figure floating into the darkness, returned full force form her subconscious. Suddenly she couldn't breathe.

"Sh, Bella it's Ok" his hand stroked her hair back behind her ears. "You're safe."

She breathed deep, concentrating all her anxiety into her clenched hand around another; at least she was holding onto something. She let out an unsteady breath. She became aware of the sounds of lapping water beneath her.

"Thank you" she whispered before opening her eyes to meet his. He was kneeling beside her with an open first aid kit, worry etched on his freckled face. For a moment she was content to sit and stare, not say anything at all. Any other time previously, she would have blushed and shied away from an encounter; but not after last night.

Why did he save me…why did he go back?

"Ouch" she winced as he applied cool salt water to the wound.

"Sorry. The salt will draw out anything bad. It will sting though." He continued to gently dab the area with wet gauze.

"How did it happen?" her voice was cracked and dry.

Edward sat back, letting out a breath he had been holding. "You were, um," he rubbed the back of his neck, staring into another corner of the boat "you were trying to rescue your mom, and didn't see a piece of metal piping had fallen from the roof – hit you square in the head."

Her throat tightened. Tears began to sting behind her eyes. Edward shuffled uncomfortable with the bandaging, searching for something to say but ending up leaving them in silence.

"Thank you" she managed to mumble, their words carrying more weight than their sound. Edward made some sort of half-hearted nod, busying himself with applying the last of the bandaging on her forehead before heading to the corner of the lifeboat. Both knew it wasn't the right time to revisit last night, not yet. Everything was still fresh. They were still in it.

She attempted to sit up and scan the perimeter, but her head was throbbing. Coming to her knees slowly, she noticed other debris littered the lifeboat; a couple backpacks, a couple nondescript boxes, a soaked cardboard box.

"I've been dragging things into the boat while you've been asleep"

He had pulled his shirt sleeves of his oatmeal crew-neck sweater to bunch at his shoulders.

"How long have I been out?"

"Just a couple hours. Sun came up 2 hours ago."

She nodded, pulling her knees into her chest.

The waves lapped languidly beneath her. Debris still scattered the surface; the only evidence last night even occurred.

Bella was afraid to speak, afraid to voice her fears. She watched as Edward organized some of the debris in the lifeboat, taking inventory of the flares they had. He stopped for a moment to stare up at the horizon.

"How long do you think it'll be before someone finds us?" her voice was barely above a whisper, yet the ocean carried it like an empty echo-chamber.

Edward was afraid of the awful truth, that he didn't know if anyone ever would find them. He peered up at Bella's brown eyes.

At least he wasn't alone.

"Soon" he managed to choke out.

They both were smart enough not to dwell on their situation; whether they were wise, or just too tired, they didn't find it any use talking about the uncertainty of their fate. Instead, they made use of the time they had. The rest of the day Bella and Edward hauled small suitcases, bags, seat-life-preservers, and other valuable wreckage into their large life boat. The faded red boat itself could have fit at least 12 more people; a fact that wasn't lost on Bella and Edward.

They didn't say much during the day. Both of them watched the sun dip below the horizon, and a chill washed over them with the clear night sky.

Bella stared up in amazement at the innumerable stars spattering the heavens. A long hue of blues, purples and greens traversed the sky.

Edward quietly shuffled himself closer to Bella's trembling form. She inched closer, leaning her head onto his shoulders. They watched the sky, feeling weightless, rocked by the waves, and encased by cold. Edward draped an arm across Bella's shivering form.

She shielded her eyes to the rays of heat pelting on her face. Her entire body felt enveloped in sticky hot sweat.

Her mouth had been open in her sleep, and she instantly regretted it. Her tongue felt like sandpaper. She opened her weary eyes to see Edward still asleep next to her. It must have been around 8 am.

His eyes were red rimmed, but his face was flushed – his body sweating unbeknownst to him. He looked incredibly uncomfortable.

Bella was so thirsty; never had she felt so thirsty in her life. She reached out weakly, tugging on Edward's sweater so that he fell forward onto her stomach. She shielded him, leaning forward onto his form so that her dark hair encased them both.

An hour later she awoke to the sun beaming down onto her- heating up her dark hair. It was uncomfortably warm; but she didn't mind the boy lying on her legs, shielding his face from the sun.

She lazily opened her eyes, spotting that copper popping up from her lap. Her hand instinctually reached for the color, running her hands through the soft, long mane of hair.

Edward moved against her legs with hesitation, as if he was warring against getting up.

"What…what time is it?"

"It's probably 10. We've slept through the morning."

Edward moved abruptly to a sitting position, blinking his eyes wildly. They stared into the distance before them.

"I'm so thirsty" Bella swallowed, grabbing her throat.

"I know" Edward looked at her, grimacing. "I haven't thought of way to purify the water yet" he looked onward guiltily

Bella shook her head "It's not your responsibility. I feel like dead weight, I haven't done anything-"

"It's okay, you're recovering" Edward made a moved forward. He seemed slower to Bella than yesterday; weaker.

She felt a lump in her throat "Edward" she called out.

He turned at the sound, as if on instinct. It was then Bella saw the glorious small green sliver in the distance behind Edward's form – the color looked so similar to Edward's green eyes, she got distracted.

"Look!" Bella pointed to the small mass. Edward whirled around. Both grinned, realizing that in their fates had instantly changed.

Edward nodded, smiling. He stood, shielding his eyes to get a better view.

"It looks like the current is taking us right to it!"

It was unspoken – the feeling of relief. The realization that their fates, their current thirsts, their futures - although uncertain, had better odds than only 24 hours prior.

Bella blinked, trying to mentally push her headache onto a back-burner. "How do you know all this…stuff?"

He breathed in deep through his nostrils, his neck and shoulders becoming stiff, eyes serious. "My dad."

Bella immediately regretted asking.

"What happened? How did…how did any of this happen?"

"I…don't know. When the plane went down, the first class cabin started filling with water, but the raft devices had already been inflated and ejected out I guess – because when I swam out one was already out there."

Bella watched his adam's apple drop. "But you came back. Why?"

He dropped his gaze before fixing it on the green mass ahead. "My parents. I knew they were gone, …it was..."

He continued to stare at the horizon. "I was a coward for getting out, and leaving them behind. I went back in through the emergency exit door to retrieve…" he trailed off, but his expression never changed. "I wanted to bury them properly if I had the chance." He lowered his head. "But then I saw you, and you were the only person alive. And you were holding your mom and trying to get the other exit door open. And this huge piece of metal fell on you – and, well I didn't even think about it. I just knew I had to get you out."

The vision of her mom's form fading into the dark replayed in the deep recesses of her memory, forever ingrained. She recalled waking, finding a few people alive, but crying for help. They were injured.

"People were shouting."

"Everyone had drowned by then, I guess. At least, anyone I saw underwater."

"And your parents," Bella suddenly felt guilty for deterring Edward from his mission – a proper burial for his parents.

"I'm …so sorry…" the tears were unmerciful, and fell without hope of stopping. She remembered the woman with her graceful copper curls, the adoring way her husband looked at her – they were a family. Just like her mom –

She let out a small yelp and buried her face in her hands.

"Please, don't cry – it doesn't make any sense to cry over that – you're alive." He enveloped her in his arms and rested his head onto her strawberry scented hair. He breathed in deep, finding a sense of calm and completeness in the smell. Bella wrapped her arms up and grasped his shoulders.

"I'm so, so sorry Edward. For everything. - "

"I'm sorry too Bella, about your mom."

They stayed still as the mid-day sun beat down on them. Edward eventually took the tarp and covered them in protection as Bella cried into his shoulder. He rested them both into the crux of the lifeboat, spent, drained, waiting until they felt the tug of sand beneath their lifeboat….


End file.
